10/29/2012 5:15 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

The Kardashians have been accused of a cheap cover-up, stealing the name of a high-end make-up line and slapping it on their own drugstore brand ... so claims the dude who sells the fancy products.

Kim, Khloe and Kourtney are launching Khroma Beauty ... a cosmetics line you can get next month at not-so-fancy places like CVS, Sears, and Ulta.

Michael Rey, the co-owner of Chroma Makeup in Bev Hills tells TMZ ... his brand took 12 years of blood, sweat and tears to build and now boasts an A-List clientele -- but he grouses the Kardashians line cheapens his products and creates confusion in the marketplace.

Michael fears his high-end customers will run for other parts of the Hills ... thinking their primo cosmetics are not so primo after all ... and they'll be embarrassed to say they wear Chroma.

Michael says he's hired a legal team, but hasn't made contact with the Kardashians just yet. He hopes they'll change the name -- but if they don't he's prepared to take legal action.

Michael has drafted a letter to his customers making it as clear as concealer -- Chroma in NO WAY is associated with the "low-budget cosmetic products" the Kardashians are hocking.

10/29/2012 12:40 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

EXCLUSIVE

Former NFL star Chad Johnson may once again be able to communicate with his ex-wife Evelyn Lozada -- after allegedly head-butting her -- because Evelyn plans to let the no-contact order against him expire.

Sources close to the ex-couple tell TMZ, Chad's on track to finish his batterer's intervention program in the next couple months -- at which point Chad will ask the judge to terminate his probation and lift the no-contact order.

If that happens, Evelyn would have to get a civil restraining order to keep Chad away -- but we're told she has decided NOT to do that ... because she just wants to "move on."

Chad was sentenced to one year probation and the batterer's class after pleading "no contest" to domestic battery following the August 11 fight with Evelyn -- but since he's completing the class early ... the judge can also lift the probation early.

Despite Evelyn's decision ... we're told she does NOT want a reunion with Chad.

A rep for Braxton tells TMZ, "All of the payments made to Lewis prior to Toni’s bankruptcy filing were appropriate transfers for reasonable and necessary personal and business expenses in the ordinary course of her business."

The rep adds Toni will continue to provide the trustee whatever info is needed to address the allegation.

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10/29/2012 12:20 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

EXCLUSIVE

If you like it, then you shoulda put earrings on it -- at least that's what Beyonce did with a brand new pair of Barack Obama hoops last weekend ... and now, TMZ has learned, sales for the pro-bama jewelry have EXPLODED.

The earrings were designed by a Puerto Rican jewelry designer named Erika Peña -- and up until last week, she had only sold 5 sets of the handmade earrings.

But her fortune changed overnight when Beyonce wore them last Saturday in NYC. Since then, Erika tells TMZ, she's sold over 1,300 PAIRS!

Erika tells us she received orders almost immediately from all over the world -- England, Switzerland, Chile, and Argentina ... with her biggest order coming from London.

The earrings currently sell for $32 a pair -- so if our math is correct ... that's like, a ton of money.

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10/26/2012 6:40 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

EXCLUSIVE

Lil Wayne made an emergency landing in Texas after suffering seizure-like symptoms on a private jet ... TMZ has learned.

A source close to Weezy -- real name Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. -- tells us, right after the plane touched down ... the rapper was transported to a local hospital to get treatment on Thursday afternoon.

We're told Wayne was at the hospital for several hours ... he checked out around 6 PM local time.

It's unclear if doctors made an exact diagnosis -- but we're told Wayne is "doing better."

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10/25/2012 2:05 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

TMZ has obtained the complete transcripts of Mitt Romney's testimony -- which he's accused of lying under oath to screw over his friend's ex-wife.

The testimony was given in 1991 at Norfolk Probate and Family Court in Massachusetts.

During his examination, Romney was asked how he first became acquainted with Staples and Tom Stemberg. Romney explained ... a venture capital businessman from another firm "mentioned to me a gentleman named Tom Stemberg had a business plan to commence an office supply chain and was looking for capital to fund that."

Romney continued, "I told him I didn't think it was a very good idea, but I'd look at it."

2:45 PM PT -- If you enjoy learning how business people valuate stocks, you're gonna LOOOOVE these documents.

If not, you should probably click on our story about Lindsay Lohan's publicist quitting ... it's wayyy more interesting.

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10/25/2012 12:35 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

EXCLUSIVE

Taylor Swift hasn't pulled the plug on her deal to buy a mansion next to the Kennedy compound in Massachusetts ... yet ... despite rumors she split from her Kennedy family boyfriend -- TMZ has learned.

A source connected with the real estate transaction tells us, the deal for the $4.5 million Hyannis Port home is still going full steam ahead ... and is currently scheduled to close in two weeks.

As we reported, Taylor plunked down the cash for the home -- located across the street from Ethel Kennedy -- in order to be closer to her 18-year-old boyfriend Conor Kennedy.

Reports are now circulating the couple has called it quits -- but so far, that hasn't changed Taylor's real estate plans.

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10/25/2012 5:44 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

breaking news

Mitt Romney's testimony in his friend's divorce case -- in which he's accused of lying under oath to screw over his friend's ex-wife -- will be unsealed today and released to the Boston Globe ... the judge has ruled.

As we first reported, Mitt testified in the divorce of Staples' founder Tom Stemberg -- and Tom's ex-wife Maureen claims Mitt lied under oath, falsely undervaluing Staples' stock in order to shaft her in the divorce.

Mitt's people have already said the Presidential hopeful doesn't care if the testimony is released -- he has nothing to hide.

Things didn't fare so well for Gloria Allred -- her request to ungag her client was shut down by the hot judge ... because Gloria never submitted an official motion to the court.

Gloria was grasping at straws in a last ditch effort to get the judge to cut her a break -- but she was shot down, hard.

The transcripts will be released to the Globe any minute.

8:30 AM PT -- Gloria denied accusations she's a "surrogate" for the Democratic party ... who's only representing Stemberg in order to wreak havoc on the Romney campaign.

8:20 AM PT -- During a news conference, Gloria accused the Boston Globe of pulling a "double-cross" because she says the paper abandoned its motion to have the gag order against Maureen Sullivan Stemberg lifted.

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10/25/2012 4:00 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Exclusive Details

5:10 PM PT -- TMZ has just obtained a photograph of Diddy after the accident, and he was so shaken up by the crash ... he had to lie down on the grass.Diddy was involved in a serious car accident in L.A. moments ago ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, a car turned left in front of Diddy's SUV and Diddy's driver t-boned the other vehicle.

Officers were called to the scene -- and cops claim everyone involved in the accident complained of pain, including Diddy, his driver, and the other driver.

It's unclear how seriously anyone was injured -- but law enforcement sources tell us, no one was transported to a hospital ... despite an ambulance being called.

As we reported, Lindsay flew out to L.A. earlier this month in order to attend a launch event for the beverage -- just hours after her blowout fight with her mother Dina in NYC.

In the text messages, Michael claims Lindsay was paid $150,000 for the event IN CASH ... which Lindsay then gave to her brother Michael Jr. to hold in his bank account for safe keeping. Michael expressed fear that Dina had access to Michael Jr.'s account and would raid it for herself.

Dave expresses outrage in response, claiming Lindsay should have looped him and her business manager in to the Mr. Pink transaction in order to provide her more financial protection ... but she never did.

In the messages, Dave says Lindsay was even more stupid for not including her management team on the Mr. Pink deal because -- as Dave says -- they could have gotten her even more money for the job ... but again, she didn't.

As we reported, Lindsay's dad is terrified she has fallen back off the wagon and needs a conservatorship because she can't handle her affairs -- and based on these texts, he might have a point.

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10/24/2012 1:30 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel's wedding party featured a video that openly made fun of homeless people in L.A. -- this according to reports.

Gawker just posted the video -- reportedly made by Timberlake's real estate agent friend Justin Huchel -- which depicts what appears to be REAL homeless people on the streets of L.A., acting as Justin and Jessica's friends who couldn't make it to the ceremony.

The homeless people in the clip -- one toothless, the other shirtless -- wish the ultra-rich couple well on their new lives together ... saying things like, "I hope the wedding goes fine for you. My gift is in the mail."

The video's an obvious dig at Justin and Jessica's ridiculous wealth -- juxtaposed against the destitute poverty displayed in the clip. The video also features a transvestite.

Huchel -- who once dated Amanda Seyfried -- has already threatened to sue Gawker over the video, claiming it was shot as "a private joke" without Timberlake's knowledge ... and demanding it be taken off the web ASAP.

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10/24/2012 10:49 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

breaking news

Tom Cruise just filed a $50 million lawsuit against Life & Style and In Touch magazines, claiming the mags defamed him by reporting he had abandoned 6-year-old Suri.

In the lawsuit, filed in L.A. federal court, Tom takes issue with the July 30th cover of Life & Style, which reads, "SURI IN TEARS, ABANDONED BY HER DAD" -- as well as the October 1st cover of In Touch, which shows a picture of Suri above the headline, "ABANDONED BY DADDY."

According to the suit, Tom claims the mags' headlines are FALSE -- insisting, he "loves his daughter dearly and would never abandon her."

Tom is suing for $50 million plus punitive damages for defamation and invasion of privacy.

In Touch and Life & Style are sister magazines owned by the same publishing company Bauer Publishing.

Cruise's lawyer, Bert Fields says:

"Tom is a caring father who dearly loves Suri. She's a vital part of his life and always will be. To say he has 'abandoned' her is a vicious lie. To say it in lurid headlines with a tearful picture of Suri is reprehensible."

Fields goes on: "Tom doesn't go around suing people. He's not a litigious guy. But when these sleaze peddlers try to make money with disgusting lies about his relationship with his child, you bet he's going to sue."

Fields goes on to bash the mags, saying, "These serial defamers are foreign owned companies with their global headquarters in Hamburg. They take money from unsuspecting Americans by selling their malicious garbage. Having to pay a libel judgment may slow them down."